Google isn't abandoning CDMA users, it insists

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Google isn't abandoning CDMA users, it insists

Some devices require proprietary carrier code, so have been removed from open source portal, the search giant clarifies

By CAROLINE GABRIEL

Published: 7 February, 2012

READ MORE: Google | CDMA | Android

Google has moved to calm fears that it was about to stop supporting CDMA versions of Android handsets, because CDMA networks are not open systems. The reality is less dramatic, but the debate still highlights the uncomfortable position the search giant has to take - touting Android's open source credentials, but finding some of its biggest sales channels among the CDMA carriers, especially Verizon Wireless.

Verizon has been the most powerful supporter of Android and has often launched high profile devices in conjunction with Google - and its future handset arm Motorola Mobility. But CDMA has elements which are not freely available to developers within the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). For this reason, CDMA gadgets including the Galaxy Nexus and the Verizon Motorola Xoom have disappeared from the listings on the Android.com developer portal, sparking reports that Google had halted support for them.

In fact, the devices will continue to get official firmware updates unless Google believes them to be unworkable, but the web giant notes that recent CDMA Android products have implemented core telephony functionality in APK files, provided by carriers in binary form. These cannot be open sourced, as each APK file must have a platform key to function, and the key will not be available to developers making custom builds using the AOSP sourcecode. For that reason, the devices cannot be supported within the open source portal, since the custom builds cannot be guaranteed to work without carrier input.

Google said it will, therefore, no longer publish updated system software images for the affected devices. But it has reassured owners of the products that it will continue to support the software, even if it is not posted to the AOSP repository.

In a statement, it said: "First, just to be clear this change is only related to AOSP support for these devices - that is, personal custom builds. These are obviously still officially supported Nexus devices for everyday use, they will receive official software updates, and so on. Similarly, these are still fully supported development devices for app developers. Nexus devices will still have unlocked bootloaders, and we'll continue to make available as many of the closed-source binaries as we can. CDMA support in AOSP has always been more challenging than GSM, and this change is a reflection of that reality."

The dispute highlights the difficulties of supporting a fully open source platform in an environment where carriers still control key network technologies, which will also be an issue for Tizen and webOS if those gain uptake. In reality, this particular issue will mainly affect power users who want to customize their handsets, but it helps to strengthen the perception that Android is an uncontrolled and sometimes unpredictable system compared to iOS or WP7. Jason Armitage, senior analyst at the Yankee Group, commented in a blog post: "Support for Android devices takes several forms. Provided Google still pushes out upgrades to these devices, Android users on CDMA networks should see few problems. However, confusion over Google's support does have the potential to put off developers, many of whom are already upset by fragmentation in the Android ecosystem."